Bipul (Tarek Halaby) suffers from memory loss and has forgotten where he’s from. This happens to be quite convenient because he cannot be deported. He lives among refugees in an asylum seeker centre in Brussels, where he sets himself up as the great conciliator. With his extensive knowledge of languages, he manages to stifle quarrels in the bud. He helps the residents, who come from all corners of the world, with their asylum applications. That is, those who don’t leave in sea containers in the middle of the night for the promised land – England. For the majority of the residents, the asylum application is followed by a waiting period: an episode that is presented in a tragicomic manner in this adaptation of Dimitri Verhulst’s eponymous novel.
The difference in cultural views – for example, how to approach women – acquires another meaning when seen through the eyes of the refugees. This poetical insight, and the theatrical acting, lead to a better understanding of the goings-on in the reception of European refugees.
Film details
- Countries of production
- Belgium, Netherlands
- Year
- 2016
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2016
- Length
- 110"
- Medium/Format
- DCP
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